Bhagavad-gītā 3.39
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा। कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च।।3.39।।
āvṛitaṁ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣhpūreṇānalena cha
Knowledge is covered by this, the constant foe of the wise, O son of Kunti, the unappeasable fire of desire.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| āvṛitam | covered |
| jñānam | knowledge |
| etena | by this |
| jñāninaḥ | of the wise |
| nitya-vairiṇā | by the perpetual enemy |
| kāma-rūpeṇa | in the form of desires |
| kaunteya | Arjun the son of Kunti |
| duṣhpūreṇa | insatiable |
| analena | like fire |
| cha | and |
Use the word map to follow the relation among āvṛitam (covered), kāma-rūpeṇa (in the form of desires), and cha (and). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to work offered without possessiveness. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 3.39.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Distinguish action, duty, sacrifice, example, desire and attachment without treating karma-yoga as inactivity.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Knowledge is covered by this, the constant foe of the wise, O son of Kunti, the unappeasable fire of desire
- 2
āvṛitam: covered
- 3
kāma-rūpeṇa: in the form of desires
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Use the line starts: āvṛitaṁ jñānam / kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya.
Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.39, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 3.39 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.39 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 3.39 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 3.39, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition